Liverpool's take on the Student Wilderness conference this year saw 300 attendees at a campsite in North Wales work together, learn, and even fit in some yoga and a ceilidh.
Every year, a different University takes up the mantle of hosting the UK Student Wilderness Medicine conference (SWMUK), the annual meeting of healthcare students with interests in expedition and remote practice.
This year was Liverpool's second time taking up the reins and saw 210 delegates, 20 volunteers and around 30 more professionals takeup residence at a campsite in Caernarfon, North Wales, attending talks and workshops run by experts in fields such as humanitarian aid, disaster relief and mountain medicine.
SWMUK has been an established union of societies since 2009 and the first conference was run by The University of Manchester before passing on the responsibility, with each University adding their own flavour and themes.
Students and professionals from Europe and America travelled long distances to attend the conference, proudly giving Liverpool Wilderness international status.
Talks this year centred around demonstrating how field work can be incorporated into any of our careers and showing the wide array of opportunities to practice healthcare outside hospital doors across multiple disciplines.
"Wilderness medicine is for the many, not the few," Victoria Simpson, a conference organiser and Year 4 Student Doctor said, "and the wilderness community is an inviting and fun-loving one that aims to help medical students both gain core skills that prepare them for fieldwork, but also build links and focus on wellbeing through mountaineering-based activities."
"I've been to three Student Wilderness Medicine conferences now, and for anyone who’s been before, the atmosphere is quite addictive. You’re right at the centre of talks and workshops delivered by professionals who really know their stuff, surrounded by students from all over the place in a chilled out 'outdoorsy' environment. This year we hosted the talks in hay barns filled with fairy lights, so there was a very cosy, inviting feel to them."
Even extreme weather couldn't dampen the atmosphere, added Victoria, "One of the great things is the variety of people that SWMUK brings in and how great an opportunity the weekend is to get to know some friendly faces. You’re either getting stuck in to workshops with strangers or getting to know them through socials like the big Saturday night Ceilidh and at the communal meal times."
"The unwelcome addition of Storm Callum threw many challenges into the logistics of the weekend, but in true wilderness spirit, students still turned out in their masses and made the most of it. Delegates and volunteers banded together and formed closer inter-university bonds over the experience, tightening our links with wilderness societies across the globe."
"As well as opportunities for educational and skills enhancement, the weekend also played host to yoga, a Ceilidh, poetry and professional catering that, combined, provided ample opportunity for enjoyment and networking. Although the conference will be handed over to another wilderness society for 2019, we're very proud to have run SWMUK again and thoroughly put our own stamp on it."
Victoria also wanted to thank the School for ongoing support, "The School of Medicine's support in this endeavour was paramount and Liverpool wilderness is extremely grateful in their help in making SWMUK possible."
Further information
Follow the Wilderness Society Facebook page: Liverpool Wilderness Medicine and Twitter: @LWMSociety